Senior Member

I go there every Monday evening for wings and beer at Kilks with my frat brothers, so I should be able to update this fairly regularly now that construction has commenced. My current cell cam is total shit though, so it being dark out so early, the pics won't be great quality.

IG: Chadillac_YYC

'My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.' — Jack Layton

Active Member

This one also looks like it could get started. Seems to be in the final tendering stage. A lot more rental projects are getting the green light recently even though the vacancy rate is still quite high.

Senior Member

This one also looks like it could get started. Seems to be in the final tendering stage. A lot more rental projects are getting the green light recently even though the vacancy rate is still quite high.

That's what we're talking about. It is under construction as of now. I can confirm that there is a drill on the site, just wasn't able to get a pic because I called shotgun and one of my buddies might have stolen it if I stopped to take a pic hahaha

IG: Chadillac_YYC

'My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.' — Jack Layton

Active Member

I don't mind either design too much. I would like to see some better details of the ground-floor treatment, however overall either building looks like it might succeed:

Variable heights, with low-maximum makes it more interesting and less shadowy than a point-tower while maintaining high density

Purpose-built rental helps diversify the area and generates more street life, demand for services

Maintains the mini-street grid forming from the University City development (that is a very low bar, but more than I can say about the Co-op proposal)

Pushes density further south, towards the main activity centre in the area and why development is happening here in the first place (University of Calgary & the research park)

Pedestrian-oriented retail in both examples

What the city should do to help these Brentwood developments reach their full potential is working on the connectivity within the site (strong, consistent street grid) and re-organize 32nd Avenue NW across Crowchild and into the university. The road is largely over-built / over-engineered like most of our 1970s era boulevards that sap urban vibrancy potential away by being too fast, too wide and hostile to pedestrians. The University of Calgary area is the most obvious area outside the core to invest in a higher-quality public realm and active transportation designs because it combines both poor active transportation designs with the high active transportation mode share.

Active Member

I prefer the 'repulsive' design. I'd rather see Brentwood TOD as a grouping of different designs rather than a grouping of buildings all of the same design. The podium has retail facing both streetscapes, which is what I care about most.